Heat pump, furnace and dual fuel service in East Pinson Valley, Birmingham, AL 35215
Walk through Echo Highlands, Apple Valley or Sun Valley and you'll find heat pumps on some houses and gas furnaces in others. We repair both, tune both and help you decide which way to go when it's time to replace.
East Pinson Valley homes from the 1960s through the 1980s run a mix of heat pumps, gas furnaces with central AC, and dual fuel setups that use both. Zeltman Heating & Air services all three across 35215, sets thermostats to match the equipment and explains the running costs of each option when a system wears out.
Heat pump or gas furnace: what East Pinson Valley homes run
The subdivisions off Pinson Valley Parkway and Old Springville Road, including Echo Highlands, Apple Valley and Sun Valley, filled in during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Builders of that era used both electric heat pumps and gas furnaces, so neighbors on the same street may heat their homes in completely different ways. Many have since been replaced once or twice, sometimes switching types along the way.
Each type has its own winter habits. A heat pump moves heat out of outdoor air and works well through most of a Birmingham winter, but its output drops on nights in the 20s and teens, and backup heat strips take over. A gas furnace makes steady heat at any temperature, but it needs a sound heat exchanger, a clear flue and working CO alarms in the house.
Dual fuel splits the difference. A heat pump handles cooling and most heating, and a gas furnace takes over when the outdoor temperature drops below a set balance point. For a house that already has gas service, it's often the most comfortable way through the coldest nights without running electric strips. Our guide on heat pump or gas furnace covers the tradeoffs.
Whatever you have, the thermostat has to know it. We often find heat pumps wired so the strips come on too early, or dual fuel systems with no switch-over setting at all. Fixing the configuration costs little and can cut a winter power bill noticeably.
Winter and summer problems in East Pinson Valley systems
Heat strips doing the heat pump's job
Miswired thermostats or a weak heat pump leave the strips running for hours. The power bill jumps before the house feels any warmer.
Outdoor coils that stay iced
A bad defrost board, sensor or low charge leaves ice on the coil. Light frost that clears is normal, while a solid block calls for service.
Gas furnaces short of air or draft
Older furnaces need clean burners, a working flame sensor and a clear flue. We measure carbon monoxide as part of every heating visit.
Dual fuel with no balance point
A dual fuel system without a proper switch-over setting burns gas when the heat pump would do, or runs strips when gas would cost less.
Summer cooling from aging equipment
Heat pumps cool too, so a weak compressor often shows up in July first. Capacitors and fan motors are common first-visit repairs.
Heat pump and furnace services in East Pinson Valley
Heat Pump Repair
Defrost faults, iced coils and heat pumps that blow cool air in heat mode.
Learn moreDual Fuel Systems
Pairing a heat pump with a gas furnace and setting the switch-over point.
Learn moreFurnace Tune-Up
Fall burner, ignition, flue and safety switch checks before the first freeze.
Learn moreSmart Thermostat Installation
Thermostats configured for heat pumps, strips and dual fuel staging.
Learn moreElectric Furnace and Heat Strip Repair
Heat strips and air handlers that trip breakers or smell hot.
Learn moreGetting to East Pinson Valley and when to book
Our technicians head northeast on Pinson Valley Parkway and Old Springville Road, which lead into Echo Highlands, Apple Valley and Sun Valley. It's a regular part of our northeast route along with Huffman and Center Point, so we're in the area often, whether the call comes in at noon or at night.
Early fall is the right time for a heat pump or furnace tune-up here, before the first cold snap, and spring suits the cooling side. Repairs go on the schedule any hour, and a person answers 24/7. The neighborhood borders Huffman and Center Point, with Pinson and Tarrant close by, so a nearby technician can often take your call next.
Nearby areas we also cover
Questions from East Pinson Valley homeowners
It depends on the equipment and local rates. A modern heat pump is usually cheaper for most of the winter, while gas tends to win on the coldest nights when heat pumps lean on electric strips. Dual fuel uses each where it costs less. We walk through the numbers for your house.
That's usually the defrost cycle. The outdoor unit briefly reverses to melt frost off the coil, which makes steam and a whooshing sound. It's normal if it clears quickly. If ice builds into a solid sheet or the unit never defrosts, call us.
Yes, if the house has gas service or can get it. We replace the electric air handler with a gas furnace that holds the indoor coil, then wire a thermostat that controls the switch-over. The heat pump keeps cooling in summer and heating on mild days.
Twice a year is ideal, since a heat pump works in both seasons. A spring visit checks cooling performance and the drain, and a fall visit checks defrost, heat strips and the reversing valve before cold weather sets in.
Yes. We cover all of East Pinson Valley, including Echo Highlands, Apple Valley, Sun Valley and the streets along Pinson Valley Parkway and Old Springville Road. Call any hour for repairs or to set up seasonal service.
Heating or cooling trouble in East Pinson Valley?
Call any hour. A person answers, and we will tell you when a technician can be there.